Vaccine batch not given in Britain

The British Department of Health has been assured by Medeva that the its polio vaccine which contained serum from a donor with…

The British Department of Health has been assured by Medeva that the its polio vaccine which contained serum from a donor with vCJD was not distributed in the UK.

A British Department of Health spokesman said the vaccine batch given to children in Ireland between 1998 and 1999 had not been distributed in the UK.

He said that unless the Medicines Control Agency, which regulates British drugs companies, or another regulatory body recommended severing links with Medeva, the department would continue to use the company to supply medicines and vaccines.

Earlier, the department said it was involved in talks with Medeva about vaccines, including polio and BCG, to try to overcome supply and production problems. It said Medeva had failed to produce enough BCG vaccine to a sufficient standard last year, and the BCG programme in schools was suspended.

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The programme has now been reintroduced in some schools, and the department said it was regularly checking the quality and supply of Medeva's vaccines.